Folding-machine.



PATENTED MAY 3, 1904.

R. G. SEYMOUR FOLDING MACHINE.

APPMOATION IILBD 0013.22, 1900.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

no MODEL.

ATTORNEY m: NORHKI virus :0, wovoumw WAsnlNOTON. n. c

PATENTED MAY 3, 1904.

R. G. SEYMOUR. FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED 001222, 1900.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2..

INVENTOR N0 MODEL.

WITNESSES: fl w/XV) Wm ATTORNEY m: noun-s PEYERS co. worouwo. wnswmovo cc,

UNTTED STATES PATENT Patented May 3, 1904.

FFICEQ RALPH SEYMOUR. OF SOUTH ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGIOR TO 0. B.OOTTRELL 8: SONS COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY. NEW JERSEY; \YESTERLY, RHODEISLAND; STONIN JTON, UONNEOTIICU'I, AND NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATIONOF NEW JERSEY.

FOLDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 758,704, dated May 3,1904.

Application filed October 22, 1900. Serial No. 33,382. No model.)

T0 (11/ u'lmntif 11mg (waver/1 Be it known that I, RALPH U. Sm'MoUR, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of South Orange, in thecounty of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Folding-Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to machinery for folda central vertical sectiontaken on the line X.

of Fig. I and looking in the direction of the arrow thereat. sideelevation showing the slitting mechanism at near the point of theformer. Fig. 4 is a front sectional detail view of the same.

In the various views the same part will be found designated by the samereference character.

Much of the framework and practi ally. all of the gearing have beenomitted in order to simplify the drawings and conduce to brevity ofdescription and clearness of illustration; but these parts may of coursebe supplied readily by the mechanic skilled in the art of constructingfolding-machines.

As organized the machine in practice is adapted to act on twodouble-width webs of paper as they come from the printing-press; pasteone of the webs transversely in alternate margins between pages;associate the two webs together and cause them to adhere at said pastedmargins; divide the double-width Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail i nowtwo-ply web longitudinally into four twoply webs of equal width and foldor associate the same together in couples over folders or formers, so asto produce a four-ply web on each side of the machine; then separateeach four-ply product into two two-ply web portions; then on each sideof the machine paste one of such portions in alternate margins betweenpages; then reassociate said two twoply portions to cause them to adheretogether atthe pasted margins; then associate and paste together thefour plies produced on each side of the machine; then present theeightply product to a transversely-acting severing mechanism and cut offthe associated and transversely-pasted portions at alternate unpastedmarginal portions of the compound web; but, as will hereinafter morefully appea r, the machine may be adjusted or arranged or run so as toassociate and paste together only four plies of web.

\Vhen the duplex folder is operating. as shown at Fig. 1, it will beunderstood that the plate-cylinders of the printing-press are each fourplates wide and four plates around and with the column-rules extendinglongitudinally of the cylinders. As there are four plate-cvlinders,there are sixty-four plates on said cylinders, representing sixty-fourpages. Two plate-cylinders with cooperating impression-cylinders operateon one of the doublewidth webs, and two plate-cylinders, in conjunctionwith impression-cylinders,operate on the other, so as to print said webson both sides. the upper .pair of plate-cylinders in the printing-pressand thedouble-width web B from the lower pair of plate-cylinderstherein. The web A is led up under a roller I, that extends entirelyacross the machine and which is mounted at one end in the outer end of alever 2, pivoted at 3 on one of two arms T, which are pivotallysupported. at their inner and upper ends upon bosses on the side frames,and which also support a cross-shaft The op posite end of the roller Iis supported directly The double-width web A comes fromso as to vibratethe lever 2, and thereby adjust the roll 1 to the desired position orangle. The adjusting mechanism for the roller is arranged at one sideonly of the machine and so that the roller may be set either in ahorizontal plane or at an angle thereto, as may be necessary andaccording as the paper is running loose or tight on one or the otheredge. When adjusted, the screw is locked by a nut 7, having a handle forconveniently operating the same. Besides the independent adjustment ofthe roller 1 within the supportingarms 4 or frame formed by said armsthe roll is adapted to be raised and lowered bodily with said arms orframe by means of links 9, pivotally connected at their lower ends tosaid arms and at their upper ends 1T0 crank-arms 10 on a cross-shaft 11,provided with a toothed sector 12, with which engages a screw 13, havinga hand-wheel 14 for turning said screw and, through the sector andlinks, raising or lowering the arms 4 and the roller 1, as may berequired.

()n the shaft 5 are fixed three similar cutting-disks 15, preferably setinto circumferential grooves formed in a roll 5 on said shaft, whichcooperate with companion cutting-disks 16, rotatably mounted in arms 17on a cross-shaft 18, and these three sets of cutting-disks are so spacedas to divide the webs A and B into four equal longitudinal portions orsubwebs,the dotted lines a b 0 illustrating the places at which the websare severed.

Arranged to operate on the outside margins of the web A are pulling ordrawing tapes 19, which run around two pulleys 20 and 21, mounted onshafts that extend across the machine, and around third pulleys 22, thatare mounted on adjustable arms 23, fixed at the ends of a cross-shaft24.

is a cross-shaft mounted in bearings in the opposite side'frames of themachine, and upon said shaft is mounted a roller 26, over which the websA andBboth pass to the formers 27 and 28, which are arranged adjacenteach other and in the same plane. Each former is preferably independentof the other and is preferably made V-shaped or triangular, as usual. Atthe rear end of each former is secured at suitable points transverselytwo brackets 29, provided with eyes 30, and through all of the bracketsof both formers passes a shaft or pivot 31, that is supported at itsends in arms 32, which are-'pivotally supported on bosses at the sideframes of the machine and concentric with the bearings of the shaft 25.By swingingthe arms up or down the formers may be adjusted in the samedirections about the shaft 25 as a center; but the formers may also beindependently ad justed about the shaft 31, so as to get the desiredpitch and also the proper relationship between the points of the formersand the drawing-oif rollers. By means of the brackets 29 the folders maybe adjusted crosswise on the shaft 31, so as to get the points of thefolders centrally of the bite of the drawing-01f rollers.

Above the roller 26 are arranged five small pressure-rolls 33,preferably rubber-faced, and mounted each on a bent lever 34 pivoted on an arm35, which is fast to a cross-shaft 36. The roller 33 may be held againstthe roller 26 or the paper thereon with the desired friction and in ayielding manner by means of a spring 37 acting on one arm of the lever34. The tension of this spring may be adjusted by means of a nut 38 onthe threaded end of a screw 39, that entersa tapped hole in a lug40,projecting from the arm 35. The upper end of the screw is provided witha knob by which the screw may be turned, and when the screw is turneddown the friction-roller 33 may be raised clear of the roller 26. Thescrew may also be turned to limit the action of the spring on the roller33, so that the latter may be adjusted to run in contact with the paperat any desired pressure.

The web B is led over a roller 41, extending across the machine; and thesaid roller is mounted at one end in a lever 42, pivoted at 43 in an arm44, mounted on a boss at one side of the frame, and the other end of theroller 41 is mounted in a similar arm 44, similarly mounted at theopposite side of the frame. The rear end of the lever 42 isembraced by aforked screw 45 for adjusting the roller 41 in exactly the manner abovedescribed with reference to the roller 1, and for the purpose ofadjusting the arms 44 similarly to the arms 4 there is providedmechanism exactly like that above described that is to say, links 46 arepivotally connected at their lower ends to the arms 44 and at theirupper ends to cranks 47 on a cross-shaft 48, hearing also toothedsectors 49, adapted to be turned by screws or worms 50.

At each side of the machine and for working on the extreme side marginsof the web B there is a tape mechanism comprising a tape 51, whichpasses around the roller 41 and rollers 52 53 54. These tapes androllers cooperate to assist in drawing and pulling the web B. Ifdesired, there may be similar tape mechanisms at the center marginsofboth the webs A and B.

As will be seen at Fig. 2, the web A after passing under the roller 1passes over the roller 5 and between the slitters, and the web B afterpassing over the roller 41 and between the rollers 53 and 54 passesvertically upward under the web A and over the roller 5 and between theslitters. The web B is run in such directions as to provide for thearrangement between it and the web A of a pasting mechanism for applyinglines of paste transversely to the web B at alternate or second margins.

55 designates a paste-receptacle containing a pasting-roller 56, withwhich cooperates a pasting-blade 57. The receptacle, roller, and bladeall extend for the full width of the machine; but the blade is cut awayat portions registering with the longitudinal margins of the web, so asnot to take paste from the roller 56 at these points, and thus leave thesaid longitudinal margins unpasted. The remaining portions of the bladestrike the roller 56 at each revolution of the blade, take pastetherefrom, and apply it to the inner side of the web B at every secondtransverse marginal portion, such application taking place at thebacking-roller 58. The pasting-blade is mounted at the free 'end of anarm 59, suitably supported upon a cross-shaft 60. \V hen thetransversely-pasted portions of the web B are assembled or associatedwith the web A at the roller 5, the two webs become pasted together atregistering margins for the full width of both webs and before they areslitted longitudinally and before they are associated or folded. Afterthe slitting of the webs into four narrower webs of equal width two ofsuch webs are folded around the former 27 and are brought together sideby side or in parallelism, and the other two of such webs are alsofolded or associated around the former 28 and brought into parallelism.By these operations there will be four plies of paper foldingorassociating on each formerthat is to say,two two-ply web portions;butinnnediately after such folding or associating the said two two plytransversely pasted products are separated and one of said two-plyportions is passed around a pasting mechanism, whereby its inner ply ispasted transversely and coincident with the previous transverse pastingby which the webs A and B were united together. Then the said twotwo-ply webs are run together or reassembled and are caused to adheretogether. thus forming a four-ply folded and pasted product whichsubsequently passes to cutting mechanism that severs the webtransversely on the unpasted margins. The four plies associated andpasted together transversely on each side of the machine are broughttogether or associated centrally of the machine and are pasted togetherso as to produce an eight-ply web with the alternating transversemargins all pasted together. The folded or associated pasted portionscoming from the folder 2? pass down between the drawing-off rollers 61,thence to a roller 62, and thence obliquely to another roller 63, at

which latter the longitudinally-associated two i applied transversely tothe alternate margins two-ply webs are separated, one portion runninghorizontally to the right partially around the roller 63 and the otherportion running vertically downward to and around a roller 64, andthence horizontally inward parallel with the upper portion. The latterafter passing between the roller 63 and a coacting friction-roller 65(mounted and operating precisely like those marked 33 and abovedescribed) passes between a pasting-blade 66 and an opposing roller 67,whereby alternate margins of the outer ply of the two-ply web are pastedtransversely for a purpose presently to appear. The said upper webportion passes thence between a roller 68 and friction-rollers 69 andthence vertically downward to meet the lower horizontally-runningcompanion. two-ply portion of the previously-assembled and thenseparated webs. The said lower portion after passing around the roller6%, which cooperates with a friction-roller 69, is directed horizontallyover a roller 70. that cooperates with a pasting-blade 71, and, asbefore, every alternate transverse margin is pasted by said device, andthe web portion is then led over a roller 72 (with which cooperates amarginal pressure-roller 73, that is geared thereto) and caused to meetthe vertically-descending upper web portion and to associate therewithand become pasted thereto at the said roller 72 and a companion roller74, alongside thereof, all as indicated plainly at Fig. 1. Thepasting-blade 71, that applies paste transversely to the alternatemargins of the inner ply of the lower section, is mounted on an armfixed on a constantly-revolving shaft 75, and said blade takes pastefrom a roller 76, that rotates in a fountain or receptacle 77, which maybe supplied with regulating means 78, all of about the usualconstruction. It will be observed that the transverse lines of pasteapplied to the lower two-ply section by the blade 71 causes said sectionto be united to the upper two-ply section when the two sections meet atthe rollers 72 and Tel. The plies that are folded or associated at theformer 28 pass down between the drawing-off rollers 78 to a roller 79and thence laterally to a roller 80, at which the two two-ply webportions are separated, as before explained with reference to theleft-hand side of the machine that is to say, one section travelshorizontally inward and then vertically downward and the other travelsfirst vertically downward and then horizontally inward to meet the uppersection and be pasted thereto. There is a pressure 01' friction roller81 cooperating with the roller 80 to feed the upper section inwardly,and said section passes between a roller 82 and a friction-roller 83 andthence down over said roller 82. The lower section passes between aroller 8st and a cooperating friction-roller and thence between apasting-blade 86 and a cooperating rotary abutment or roller 87therefor, by which paste is of the inner ply of said lower section. Fromsaid pasting apparatus the said lower section then passes under afriction-roller 8S and over a cooperating roller 74, at which it meetsthe said upper section and becomes pasted thereto. The pasting-blade 86is mounted on a rotating arm as before and takes paste from the surfaceof a roller 89, that turns in a paste-receptacle 90.

It will be seen from the foregoing that after the association of the twotwo-ply'webs at the former 27 the said webs are separated and that afterpasting one of them transversely on its inner ply at alternate marginssaid two duplex webs are then reassembled and pasted together atalternate margins and so to produce a four-ply transversely-pastedproduct before the web portions have been severed transversely intosheet portions. It will also be observed that the two two-ply associatedportions formed or associated at the folder 28 are likewise separated,pasted, and reassembled to produce a four-ply transverselypasted productbefore severance into sheet lengths, and it will also be observed thatthe said two opposite four-ply portions may be at once associated andunited together, so as to produce an eight-ply Web with the second oralternate margins all pasted together. The pasting together of thefour-ply webs is effected by the pasting-blade 66 and its cooperatingroller 67 and the cooperating rollers 68 and 82. The blade 66 inapplying paste to alternate transverse margins of the outside web, ply,or fold of the upper two-ply web on the left-hand side of the machinecauses said twoply web to be pasted to registering margins of thetwo-ply upper web-section on the righthand side of the machine when thesaid two two-ply portions meet at the pressure-rollers 68 and 82. Henceit will be understood that the four plies or webs shown as descendingvertically between the rollers 68 and 82v and rollers 72 and 74 are allpasted together. To this four-ply product is pasted on the lefthand sidethat two-ply lower section coming from the folder 27 and on theright-hand side that two-ply lower section coming from the folder 28,and hence there issues from between the rollers 7 2 and 74 a compoundweb of eight plies, all of which are pasted together. but it frequentlyhappens that only one-half of the printing-machine and folder areemployed, and in that case the pasting-blade 66 and its cooperatingdevice 67 and roller 91 and paste-receptacle 91 are not used. If thefolder or former 27 alone be used, the halfwidth webs A B will be pastedtransversely and associated together and split longitudinally at saidfolder and folded or associated together into two parallel two-plyportions, which will then be separated and one portion passed around tobe acted on by the pastingblade 71 and then caused to be reassociatedwith and pasted .to the other portion at the pressure-rollers 72 and 74,all as before explained, and if the former 28 alone be used one of thehalf-width webs A B will be supplied with paste transversely and thewebs caused to adhere. Then they will be folded or associated aroundsaid folder into two twoply products, and then they will be separatedand one of said two-ply portions pasted transversely in alternatemargins by the pasterblade 86, so as to cause the said two two-plyportions when brought together again at the rollers 72 and 74 to adhereto each other and produce a four-ply transversely-pasted product, asbefore explained. The folded or associated plies, whatever may be theirnumber, after passing the rollers 72 74 enter between a pair ofcutting-cylinders 92 and 93, having, preferably, shearing knives orcutters, generally known as the Oottrell cutters, by which the web iscut off at each unpasted transverse margin into sheet lengths and whichsevered portions may be delivered or disposed of in any suitable ordesired manner. I have shown herein a delivery and collecting mechanismwhich I have in practice applied to or used in connection with afoldingmachine constructed in accordance with my present improvements;but this mechanism will not be described in detail or claimed herein, asthe same is reserved for another application. The said mechanismcomprises generally a cylinder 94, containing on one side a pair offolding-jaws 95 and on the diametrically opposite side a pasting-blade96,adapted to take paste from a suitable roller. (Not shown.)Cooperating with said cylinder 94 is a cylinder 98, provided with afolding-blade 99 and a set of grippers 100. In connection with thecylinder 94 is a tape system 101 and a cooperating tape system 102 forcarrying off the folded products. When collecting is not being done, thepaster 96 is replaced by a duplicate of folding-jaws 95. The compoundtransversely-pasted web descending from the cutting-cylinders 92 93passes down between the cylinders 94 and 98 if collecting is not to bedone, and at the proper time the folding-blade tucks a previously-pastedmargin into the I folding-jaws 95, and these jaws after the leadingportion of the web has been cut off by the cylinders 92 93 carry thefolded portion around and deliver it to the tape mechanisms 101 102,from which the transversely-folded product may run either to afly,table, packer, or other device. When collecting is to be done, thegrippers 100 seize the leading end of the compound web, carry it aroundthe cylinder 98 one and one-half revolutions after a section has beencut off and while the leading end of the web passes loosely down betweenthe cylinders 94 and 98, and when two pasted margins of the portion onthe cyldeliverance, as before. If the collected portions are to bepasted together, the paste-blade 96 applies paste to that portion whichtravels around with the cylinder 98, so that during the secondrevolution of the latter and the tucking operation the two portions ofthe web are not only folded. but are pasted together.

\Yhen the folder is running to its full capacity, an eight-ply compoundweb issues from between the cutting-cylinders 92 and 93,

will deliver pasted and folded products of thirty-two pages each; but ifthe machine be adjusted and run for collecting then pasted and foldedproducts of sixty-four pages each will be delivered. If only one-half ofthe printing-press and folder be used and the folder is not collecting,then a four-ply compound web issues from between the cuttingcylinders 92and 93, and the machine will deliver pasted and folded products ofsixteen pages each; but if the folder be arranged for collecting thenpasted and folded products of thirty-two pages each will be delivered.One of the main purposes of my invention is to provide a folder soconstructed that it may be arranged to deliver transversely pasted andfolded products of either eight, twelve, sixteen, twenty, twenty-four,twenty-eight, thirty-two, forty, forty-eight, fifty-six, or sixty-fourpages each, dependent upon the number of plates used in the press andupon the width and number of webs.

In the machines which 1 have constructed 1 have placed the slitters, as15 and 16, for slitting the webs A B longitudinally after association,just back of the former, as indicated by the full lines at Fig. 2, andalso in the same machine at or substantially at the point of the former,as indicated by the dotted lines at Fig. 2 and by the full lines atFigs. 3 and t. so that either set might be employed, asdesired, by theuser. Of course those cutters which divide the webs A B centrally orwhich cut on the dotted line b of Fig. 1 must be arranged at the upperportion of the formers or at about the locality shown at Fig. 2; but thecutters which subdivide the half-web or split the same longltudinally onthe lines (1 and 0 i may be employed at any locality between the pointof the former and the place where they are shown in full lines at Fig.2. The cutters arranged at the point of the former may be driven by anysuitable gearing, as shown and as common in the art."

The various arrows show the directions of travel of the various rollsand other devices to which they are applied, and the dotted circlesaround the pasting-blades show the paths of travel of the latter.

For convenience of illustration 1 have reduced the thickness of theeight-ply web below the cutting-cylimlers 92 and 93 to a single line;but this linemay be taken as representing eight thicknesses of paper.The lower end of the web hanging down loosely indicates that the machineis not running to superpose or collect and the folding-blade and thefolding-jaws are indicated in positions which they assume when thecross-fold is about to be made and which is just prior to the cuttingoff of the sheet lengths by the cylinders 92 and 93.

W'hile I have thus far constructed folding- 1 machines adapted to act ondouble width and if no collect1ng1s being done the machine webs, myimprovements are of course equally adapted to machines of single widthor narrower webs. and hence I do not wish to be considered as limited tothe duplex folder shown. As before explained, this folder may be runwith only half-width webs, and it is apparent that if folders forhalf-width webs only are desired such folders may be made in place ofthe folder of double width or of the duplex capacity herein illustrated.

Any desired forms of cutting, pasting, feeding, and deliveringmechanisms may be employed, and these may be driven or operated by anysuitable means without departing from the gist of my improvements.

The operation of the machine has perhaps been sufficiently describedhereinbefore; but the following brief description may be added, and thiswill be confined more particularly to the right-hand side of themachine. The webs A and B coming from the printing mechanisms areassembled as they pass over the former 28; but before they come togetherthe paster 57 applies a line of paste to the margins of web B andtransversely of the web, so that as these webs come down over the formerthey are pasted together transversely. The webs thus pasted together areslitted longitudinally as they pass the former and before they enterbetween the rolls 78 78, through which at least four thicknesses ofpaper pass. After passing between these rolls the folds of the slittedand pasted webs are sepa rated, those folds of the web which passed overthe left-hand edge of the former being led directly under the roll 81)and thence over the rolls 82 and Ti to the cutting-cylinders, whilethose folds of the web which passed over the right-hand edge of theformer are led under the roller 84: and over the roller 74c and thenceto the cutting-cylinders, the latter fold being thus looped around thesecond pasting mechanism, by which a second line of paste is appliedtransversely to the separated portion of the web intermediate the rolls8a and H. The separated folds of the web are again reunited at roller 7%prior to passing between the cutting-cylinders, so that the finalpasting operation is completed before the webs reach thecutting-cylinders. Thus the four thicknesses of the web will be socurelyand properly pasted together, and as they pass through thecutting-cylimlers the webs are severed into sheet lengths, the sheetsbeing all pasted together, however, so that the machine will deliversixteen-page newspapers, for example, all properly pasted and folded.Thus by the present invention I am enabled to apply the paste to the Webtransversely thereof and transversely to the line of movement thereofboth before and after the webs pass the former, thus enabling me toemploy an angle-bar or cow-catcher folder.

The narrow pressure-rolls 33 63 69 69 73 80 83 85 88 all operate on thelongitudinal margins of the webs only.

That the practical applications of the invention are numerous will bereadily comprehended by those skilled in the art, and for the essentialfeatures and combinations thereof, for which protection is desired,reference is to be had to the following claims.

WhatIolaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of means for assembling two webs and folding the samelongitudinally, and means for applying paste transversely to one of theWebs before the same are assembled and folded, with means for applyingpaste a second time to the webs and transversely thereof after the webshave received their first fold, means for thereafter severing the webs,collecting mechanism arranged to collect the sheets, and fneans forpasting together the collected sheets.

2. In web folding and pasting mechanism, the combination of means forassembling two webs and folding the same longitudinally, and means forthereafter severing the webs into sheet lengths; with means for applyingpaste transversely to one of the webs before the same are assembled andfolded, means for applying paste to an inner fold of the webs after thesame have received their first fold, collecting mechanism arranged tocollect the sheets, and means for pasting together the collected sheets.

3. The combination of means for assembling and imparting a longitudinalfold to webs of paper, means for separating the folds of the web,mechanism for applying a line of paste to the separated folds of theweb, means for thereafter reuniting .the separated folds of the webs,collecting mechanism arranged to collect the sheets, and means forpasting together the collected sheets.

4. The combination of means for assembling and imparting a longitudinalfold to webs of paper, mechanism for separating the longitudinal foldsof the webs, means for applying a line of paste to one of the separatedfolds of the webs transversely to the length or line of movementthereof, means for reuniting the separated folds of the webs, means forsever-- ing the same into sheet lengths, collecting mechanism arrangedto collect the sheets, and means for pasting together the collectedsheets.

5. The combination of the former and a pair of rolls coacting therewith,means for directing a pair of webs to said former, mechanism forapplying paste to one of the webs prior to its passage over the former,mechanism for slitting the folded webs longitudinally, means fordividing or separating the-folds of the slitted web, means for applyingpaste to one portion of the slitted and separated webs, cuttingcylindersfor severing the reunited portions of the webs into sheet lengths,collecting mech-' anism arranged to collect the sheets, and means forpasting together the collected sheets.

Signed in the borough of Manhattan, city of New York, in the county ofNew York and State of New York, this 20th day of October,

RALPH C. SEYMOUR. Witnesses:

K. V. DONOVAN, E. M. VVnLLs.

